Fall Brunch

Last week I invited a few friends over for a fall brunch to celebrate the fall season. There were some last minute kinks that came up but in the end everything came together great!

I wanted the menu to have an autumn feel so I served some of my favorite seasonal foods:

• Hash brown Casserole--one made with bacon, one with sausage, and one plain
• Baked pumpkin doughnuts with maple-cinnamon glaze
• Apple bread
• Fresh-Cut vegetables with ranch dip--carrots, celery, tomatoes, and orange bell pepper
• Fresh Fruit-- raspberries, pineapple, and grapes
• Mini-vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream

I decided against serving banana muffins and replaced them on the menu with the fresh vegetables instead. I already had apple bread and baked doughnuts planned and the fresh vegetables helped “lighten up” things.

I also had a coffee bar available--complete with some cute disposable coffee cups that fit perfectly with the theme. We used a Keurig coffee maker so everyone brewed their favorite blend and then picked through the options at the coffee bar:

• Pumpkin spice syrup (recipe coming soon)
• Creamer
• Sugar
• Splenda
• Fresh whipped cream

I also had another drink station set-up that had water, orange juice, and sparkling grape juice. I printed out a fall themed picture and found a somewhat rustic frame to put it in. I wasn’t able to get a photo of all the decor together, but in the bottom right corner of this photo shows the framed print. 

Overall, everything went great. Planning ahead definitely helped! Everyone had a great time and I can’t wait until next fall to host another one! :)

Burlap table runner: Straight Stitch
Pumpkin invitation: Honey Print
Fall print: Antsi-Pants

Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip

Now that football season is in full swing, I plan on making several appetizers throughout the day on Saturdays. For the first Saturday of the season I made a cheesy mexican corn dip as well as a crab dip. 

This cheesy Mexican corn dip is perfect for snacking on during football games. I halved the recipe below thinking that Russell and I certainly didn’t need a full recipe, I was wrong. We loved this dip and I really wish I had made more. No worries though, the next time I make it, I will definitely be making the full recipe. The sweet corn with the spicy peppers creates a wonderful flavor combination!

This recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of chipotle peppers in adobe sauce. The only can of chipotle peppers in adobe sauce that I found was huge, so I froze each pepper individually on a cookie sheet and then packaged them in a Ziploc bag to save for later. I cut out as many seeds from the peppers as possible, but the dip was still somewhat spicy. Admittedly, I do not like too much heat and I would recommend only using one pepper (without seeds) for the full recipe.

Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 Tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 small tomato, seeded and diced
• 2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1 green green onion, chopped (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch baking dish. 

In a medium bowl, combine cheeses, chipotle peppers, green chilies, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and corn. 

Spread into 8-inch baking dish and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Top with diced tomato, cilantro, and green onion, if using. Serve warm with tortilla chips. 

Source: Originally adapted from: Gina Marie’s Kitchen, as seen on: Kitchen Simplicity

Summer Corn Chowder

Being gone for two weeks can really throw you for a loop. After we got back from visiting home, it took me a few days to get back into the swing of things. Of course, we also arrived just in time for the temperatures to begin to rise. I don’t think it has been below 100 degrees F here all week, and the forecast for next week offers no relief. To say it is hot is an understatement.

Since it has been so hot the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven, so I have been looking for recipes that require only stove-top cooking. This summer corn chowder was perfect. I made a crab and corn chowder this past winter (which I plan on making again soon) and we loved it; as soon as I came across this recipe I knew I had to make it. Kansas has some wonderful sweet corn that makes this corn chowder heavenly. I paired it with a salad and it made for a great meal!

Also, a few housekeeping items--I hope you like the new design/layout! Up top you will find links to "about me” as well as a recipe index and how to contact me. I also started a Facebook page for my blog (I feel so late to the game), so if you’d like to follow me there, here’s the link: Southern Pink Lemonade on Facebook.

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Ingredients:

• 1 package bacon (about 12 slices) cooked and chopped, grease reserved
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
• 1 teaspoon thyme (I mistakenly omitted this and it was still great!)
• 5 cups fresh corn kernels, I used the kernels from 5 ears of corn
• 1/2 teaspoon adobo seasoning
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 large potato, peeled and grated
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Using about 3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon grease, saute onion and bell pepper for about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add the corn and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in the adobo seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken broth and half-and-half and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, add the grated potato. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until potato is cooked through, about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, check seasonings and adjust as necessary.

Serve with crumbled bacon on top.

Source: Originally from Fine Cooking, as seen on Baked Bree

Roasted Tomatoes and Zucchini Quinoa with Balsamic Dressing

We just returned home from a two-week visit in Alabama. It was great to be back and visit with family. While planning for the trip, two-weeks seems like such a long time--but once the trip starts our time goes by so quickly! We managed to fit in: a weekend at my family’s lake house, a family reunion, a 1st birthday party, several trips to a couple of home improvement stores in preparation for when we move home in just a few months, and many visits with family and friends. Overall it was a wonderful trip and it made us even more excited to get back home.

Picture taken by Russell out on the pier of my family’s lake house.

Just before we left I roasted some tomatoes and they were wonderful. I had to find another way to use them, other than snacking on them, so I roasted a zucchini then tossed it with quinoa and some of the roasted tomatoes. It still needed something else so I tried a balsamic dressing that tied all of the flavors together perfectly. This made the best lunch for a few days and Jake even loved it! While on our trip I could not stop thinking about those roasted tomatoes, and although we just got back a couple of days ago, I have already roasted more tomatoes in preparation to make this recipe again!

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup packed, roasted tomatoes
• 3 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place slice zucchini on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 10-15 minutes.

In a small saucepan place uncooked quinoa and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit with the lid still on for 5 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, and sugar. Set aside.

Once quinoa and zucchini are done, place them in a medium sized bowl. Stir in roasted tomatoes. Drizzle dressing over quinoa and toss to combine. Serve warm. 

Adapted from: Zucchini, Tomato, and Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Green Bean Bacon Bundles

It’s that time again--moving time. That’s right, Russell and I (and of course the baby) have moved to Kansas. We arrived about three weeks ago and, so far, Kansas isn’t too bad--although, we did arrive in the middle of a heat wave. We spent the month of June organizing and packing for our first move with the little one. As we were preparing to leave Georgia I found myself trying to use as much stuff from our freezer and refrigerator as possible. We have moved frequently in the last 4 years and with each move I have become better at minimizing the amount of food I am forced to throw away.

During this process I discovered we had bacon in the freezer. I do not know how bacon lasted so long in my freezer, but there it was waiting to be devoured! I decided I wanted to use it for something other than the usual breakfast fare. When I came across a recipe for green bean bacon bundles I thought it would be perfect. The brown-sugar and butter mixture adds the perfect amount of sweetness without being overpowering; and the bacon delivers a nice crispness. Overall these were definitely a winner. I served them as a side to our dinner, but they would also make a perfect appetizer.

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Ingredients:

• About 12 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 pound green beans, ends removed
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking skeet or 9 x 13 pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.

Rinse green beans and thoroughly dry. Season with salt and pepper.

Make a bundle using approximately 5-7 green beans. Wrap a piece of bacon in the center of the bundle to hold the green beans together. Repeat with the reaming green beans, placing each bundle seam side down on rimmed baking dish.

In a small saucepan over low heat, add butter, sugar, and garlic. Whisk until butter and sugar are melted and combined. Using a pastry or marinade brush, brush the mixture over the tops of the green bean bacon bundles.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes or just until bacon gets crispy.

Source: How Sweet it is: Green Bean Bacon Bundles

Cucumber Salad

Although Russell and I move around a lot due to his job, we are both originally from Alabama. If you have never been to Alabama during the summer let me tell you, it is hot and humid! The minute you step outside on a hot July day in Alabama you are guaranteed to become a walking swimming pool. During these hot summer months I prefer to cook food that requires minimal use of the oven or stove--such as this cucumber salad. There are many variations of cucumber salad out there, but this is one of my favorites. The original recipe calls for the addition of white onion; but I prefer it without. This side dish is perfect for those hot summer days when you just want something cold to help cool you down.

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Ingredients:

• 2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 small white onion, sliced (optional)
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 Tablespoon dried dill or to taste

Directions:

Combine vinegar, sugar, water, and dill. Add cucumbers and onions. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Best when served chilled.

Source: My sister sent me this recipe a couple of years ago. She originally found it on All Recipes-- unfortunately I am now unable to find the direct link to this recipe on their website.

Broccoli Salad

I generally do not like raw broccoli, raw onions, or raisins, so why am I posting a recipe which has all three ingredients you might ask--because this broccoli salad is wonderful! I believe my fear of broccoli salad originated from attending potlucks. There would always be this strange green mixture sitting on the table starring back at me that did not look appealing to me at all. One day I was feeling brave and decided to try the dreaded green mixture, it turns out it was delicious and I had been depriving myself of broccoli salad goodness for far too long. I decided with a few small modifications broccoli salad was actually something I could really enjoy.

Since I am the one who does all the cooking in our household (our kitchen stays much cleaner that way :) ), I am the one who does all of the meal planning. There are not too many things that Russell will not eat so I am able to try out a lot of new things. I knew that this broccoli salad was delicious but for some reason, although I knew he would eat it, I was still afraid if Russell was going to like it or not. Not only did he eat it but he went back for seconds and commented on how good it was! Broccoli salad in our house has been deemed a success.

Ingredients:

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 large head of broccoli, cut into flowerettes and stem pieces
• 1 pound of bacon, fried and crumbled (I used Maple flavored bacon)
• 1 cup of sunflower seeds (optional, I chose to omit)
• 1/2 white onion chopped (depending on your taste you may prefer more)
• 1/2 cup golden raisins

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vinegar

Directions:

Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Combine salad ingredients and toss.

Add dressing and mix well. Chill for several hours to blend flavors before serving.

This is another recipe I requested from my sister, she got it from a friend who adapted it from this recipe: All Recipes: Broccoli Salad